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Actually, it can make a jerk of someone if the intent is to have a child, whom you are not friends with, come outside and look around bewildered and searching for whomever rang the bell. In fact, the kids had their cell phones out when I caught them, which to me means the possibly they wanted to record my child if my child came out when the bell was rung. And with social media, it's pretty easy to pass around a video of someone you aren't friends with, being pranked and made a jerk of. It's not actually someone laughing WITH you when you aren't friends with them, it's someone laughing at you and your expense. A child seeking out whom rang the bell, to be ran away from. Growing up ring and run was done to people you wanted to taunt or mess with (but at least cell phones were not around to be involved, to make a jerk of someone by passing around videos of the incidents). And when it's a peer whom you could be hanging with but you aren't hip enough for them, then tell me how that isn't an attempt at making a mockery of someone not in the clique or included in on the "fun"?
It's being laughed "AT", not being laughed "with" in some cases. And the use of social media always adds to the possibility that jokes will be "passed" around, always at the expense of the person being made a mockery of. I don't doubt social media could have been brought into this, this particular group of kids have various social media accounts (as stated by my child).
OP, I get it, trust me. Having your kid being made fun of or even taped while being mocked is HURTFUL but here's the kicker- it's up to you as a parent to teach your kid to be resilient, to not be so bothered by stupidity because, let's face it, your kiddo is going to be faced with that A LOT in his/her life. So what if a video is passed around of your kid answering the door and looking bewildered that no one is there? Seriously, SO WHAT? Some dumb kids will laugh at him/her, make some eye-rolling comments and move on. Teach your kiddo to roll their own eyes and chalk it up to adolescent stupidity.
If you don't teach your kid to be resilient for things like this, what are they going to do when faced with more serious things? Sex, drugs, alcohol, criminal activities- all of that is going on at pretty much every high school and your kid is heading straight for it in a few years.
If there is one thing I've learned being a parent it's that you cannot protect your kids all of the time. This is something that keeps me up at night at times but I know I have to be ready to face it. The best thing I can do is teach my kids to know what to say to asinine kids and how to react in situations.
Social media has the opportunity to be the worst part in a lot of kids lives and if you don't think that your kid can use it wisely and not be as affected by it, then don't allow it in your household. Kids are only as resilient as you teach them to be, don't forget that.
Social media has the opportunity to be the worst part in a lot of kids lives and if you don't think that your kid can use it wisely and not be as affected by it, then don't allow it in your household. Kids are only as resilient as you teach them to be, don't forget that.
Parents shouldn't allow social media to be a part of any of their kids lives, it's nothing but bad news for them. There's a growing group of parents in our area that are keeping their kids away from cell phones, YouTube, and social media, as for children, it serves no purpose. I'm hopeful that by the time my 6 yr old hits teenage years, social media will hopefully be very tightly locked down as to who can use it and access it.
I know I did it as a kid, but times are very different. I would talk to the kid, tell him I know he was just trying to have fun, but with ring doorbells, guns, crazy, easily-irritated, paranoid people, etc. it could end badly.
It happened to us. The next day my roommate was waiting for them. Gave them a good talking to and also had the cops go talk to them.
They were doing it all up and down the street.
Never happened again.
Lol! When I was a kid, we had some little ones who did the ditch doorbell thing, didn't bother us, I did it to at their age, my brother just got into the police force and had just opened the door to leave for work and caught them just about ready to ring the bell, just smiled and said hello and went to work. They never rang our bell again. The look on their face was priceless.
I do understand it is different with the op and hopefully since they didn't get the reaction they were hoping for they will stop.
I'm 37. I found it hilarious as a teen and I find it hilarious now.
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